Customisable AMR tailored for industrial cart transport
HELKO is an Autonomous Mobile Robot designed and built by Eureka System as a self-driving unit for towing industrial carts, workbenches, and mobile workstations.
Unlike standard AMRs, HELKO is an Autonomous Truck Robot: it doesn’t carry the load on top but hooks it laterally using a patented mechanical system, autonomously pulls it along predefined routes, and releases it at the destination.
This approach enables flexible, reconfigurable indoor logistics, perfectly compatible with dynamic layouts and existing production processes.
HELKO’s flagship feature is its lateral coupling system—a patented, unique, and innovative solution in the global AMR landscape. This system delivers a range of technical and mechanical advantages that make HELKO adaptable and versatile across many industrial environments:
- Excellent load stability on the cart during transport;
- Secure grip even when navigating uneven surfaces;
- Intelligent tractor-cart coupling enabled by its adaptive docking technology.
At the core of HELKO is a software suite entirely developed by Eureka System, designed to intelligently manage every aspect of autonomous logistics. From autonomous navigation and mapping to real-time monitoring and AI-driven mission management, each module is built to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems and adapt to your workflows.
With HELKO, we bring an innovative approach to mobile robotics: a fully customisable Autonomous Mobile Robot tailored to your specific application needs. The real-world requirements of your operation define the technical specifications of your AMR vehicle.
USAGE | towing carts/workbenches |
DIMENSIONS | customisable to measure |
PAYLOAD | depending on the application |
SPEED | 0.3 m/s ~ 1.5 m/s |
PROCESSOR | Intel Atom® |
The tailor-made AMR solution
HELKO is not a standard machine adapted to fit your context; it is a fully customisable robotic system, designed to meet real operational needs.
Flexible and seamlessly integrable at IT/OT level, HELKO is the result of over twenty years of experience in industrial automation.
As system integrators and OEM developers, at Eureka System we design every detail to measure — from mechanics to software logic.
- Modular, certified mechanical design, developed in-house and customised to your needs.
- Electronic architecture based on standard components with long-term availability (10+ years).
- Simple or electrified carts, compatible with your existing ones or custom-designed for you.
- Integrated development: from design to hardware and software functionalities, everything in HELKO can be tailored.
With Adaptive Docking technology
HELKO’s patented system detects the cart and automatically docks by adapting to its actual position, rather than relying solely on pre-mapped locations.
The electrified coupling mechanism is used for recharging and can power the cart or the load during navigation.
Helko is the ideal solution for
- Logistics in line and warehouse using AMRs
- Dynamic assembly lines with mobile workbenches
- Automatic provisioning and stocking for assembly lines
- Cross docking applications
- Tooling and equipment provision
- Waste removal
- Kitting and picking
1. Analysis of flows and spaces
We study the current routes, human-machine interactions, operational challenges, and architectural constraints.
We assess the types of carts used, transport frequencies, and the interaction with other systems (warehouse, production lines, offices, departments, etc.).
2. Customised technical proposal
Based on the analysis, we propose a HELKO configuration tailored to your needs: bespoke mechanical design for the application, mapping of routes and logistic nodes, mission configuration, and software integration.
3. Pilot phase and on-site testing
We trial the solution in a sample area to validate workflows, routes, and timings. After that, we fine-tune the software, interfaces, and mechanics until the desired performance is achieved.
4. Commissioning and scalability
We integrate HELKO with your enterprise software (ERP, WMS, MES) to enable a fully automated workflow. Once validated, the system can be scaled across multiple routes, robots, and departments.
Full software control
HELKO comes with a comprehensive, fully customisable software suite developed in-house.
Navarco – Fleet Management System
Mission assignment, centralised fleet control, optimal route calculation and energy management.
Map Editor
Dynamic definition of map layouts and navigation paths, indication of interaction points, special areas and robot constraints.
Fleet Lookout
Collection and analysis of navigation data, real-time telemetry and mission results, along with logs and graphical replays.
ROS 2 Autonomous Navigation
Natural localisation and navigation using Lidar for cart towing, obstacle avoidance, and high-precision optical positioning.
TALOS – AI for mission optimisation
AI module for optimised scheduling of AMR missions, production planning, and HMLV (High-Mix Low-Volume) flow optimisation.
An AMR designed and built entirely in Italy
HELKO is an AMR engineered to adapt to any specific requirement. With full control over both software and mechanical design, we can adjust and tailor HELKO to your operations workflows and integrate new features effortlessly.
Do you have an idea or a need for innovation through AMRs? With HELKO, we can make it a reality together.
Integration, Configurability and Customisation
HELKO is not an off-the-shelf AMR, but a mechatronic platform designed to be tailored and seamlessly integrated into the customer’s operational environment.
Its architecture is fully modular and customisable, both in hardware and software: we can configure dimensions, traction, the coupling system, sensors, carts, and operational behaviour according to the layout, logistics flows, and application requirements.
- Mechanical layout and aesthetic design configurable (footprint, height, speed, colours, visibility in sensitive environments).
- Powertrain, laser scanners, and other electronic components are selected based on technical specifications, industrial reliability, and a guarantee of global availability for at least 10 years.
- Custom-designed accessory hardware: simple or electrified carts, equipped with conveyors, sensors, or automatic loading/unloading systems.
- Possibility to integrate advanced sensors for cart recognition, load traceability, or operator identification.
- Interfaces with company software (MES, ERP, WMS) via RESTful APIs, OPC-UA, or SQL.
- Integration with existing systems: elevators, automatic doors, physical buttons, traffic light systems, RFID readers.
- Software (navigation, mapping, fleet management, AI…) is developed in-house and can be extended or modified to meet specific needs.
This design flexibility makes HELKO the ideal choice for complex facilities, dynamic environments, and non-standardised production, perfectly aligned with Industry 5.0 principles.
Autonomous Navigation Without Guides or Wiring
Ideal for transporting industrial carts or workbenches, HELKO excels in complex environments and dynamic production layouts.
To achieve this, it integrates an autonomous navigation system based on ROS 2, developed in collaboration with partner Proxima Robotics on the Proxima Compass platform, and fully integrated with the software suite developed by Eureka System. HELKO’s advanced navigation software maps the environment, enables the robot to orient and navigate within the mapped area without any aids or infrastructure, and ensures the AMR correctly identifies and couples with the cart even if it has been manually moved or roughly positioned.
HELKO features an advanced graphical interface for creating and managing navigation layouts — the Map Editor software module — which also supports multi-map and multi-floor installations. During the map creation process, all the rules and constraints that HELKO must respect during movement can be defined.
All AMRs in a HELKO installation continuously communicate with Navarco, the mission management software that monitors and coordinates individual robots and entire fleets in real time. Navarco assigns missions and their priority levels, controls interaction models with machines and personnel, and integrates with external systems (MES, ERP, WMS) to automatically generate missions based on production orders.
Thanks to laser scanning and continuous monitoring of real-time conditions, each HELKO can accurately locate its position, detect potential hazards, and respond with appropriate manoeuvres — from safe stopping to seeking alternative routes. On the IoT side, alarms, telemetry, and navigation data are fully accessible via a dedicated dashboard.
Key Features:
- Natural navigation system using Lidar for routine navigation and automatic environment recognition.
- Dynamic mapping and route definition through the Map Editor.
- Management of various mission types: point-to-point; multi-point with multiple load/unload destinations; cyclic missions; preferred missions.
- Obstacle detection and avoidance, including presence detection of people.
- Precise positioning system using high-intensity light clusters to optimise positioning, docking, and coupling operations.
- Automatic calculation of optimal routes.
- Real-time recalculation of alternative routes.
Certifications and Safety
Helko is a robotic system certified in compliance with the following standard safety regulations and directives for industrial environments:
- IP PROTECTION: IP40
- DIRECTIVES: 2006/42/EC; 2014/35/EU; 2014/30/EU
- STANDARDS: CEI EN 60204-1; UNI EN ISO 13849-1; CEI EN 62061; EN ISO 3691-4:2020
Moreover, thanks to its dynamic drive-cart coupling system, Helko ensures load stability throughout the entire journey.
Infinite Deployment Possibilities
Helko autonomously moves carts weighing up to 500 kg, transporting individual items or pallets along user-defined dynamic routes.
What makes it unique? Helko acts as a robotic drive, towing carts or workbenches; upon reaching the destination, it releases the cart and prepares for the next mission.
The range of cart configurations and customisations is virtually unlimited: from simple carts to drawer units, to workbenches for agile assembly lines. Moreover, thanks to autonomous navigation, transport missions can be carried out to and from any point within the indoor workspace.
Helko performs both GOODS-TO-PERSON missions and GOODS-TO-MACHINE missions, the latter managed through software interfacing with other machines or robots, requiring no human interaction.
Standard type of movement: coupling and towing industrial carts, assembly benches, or workstations.
Transportable load: up to 500 kg
Maximum collaborative speed: 0.5 m/s at full load
Floor depressions or steps: up to 10 mm
Floor gaps: up to 15 mm
Operational Autonomy and Fleet Energy Management
HELKO is designed to ensure maximum operational uptime even across multiple shifts, thanks to optimised power consumption settings and an intelligent energy management system.
Its autonomy reaches up to 16 hours of continuous operation (duty cycle 60%)*, with fully automated charging management.
The battery charge status of each robot is software-managed to estimate remaining autonomy as accurately as possible, automatically dispatching charging missions when urgently required.
An integrated Battery Management System (BMS) within NAVARCO monitors the fleet’s charge status in real time, coordinates charging missions, and manages operational priorities. The result is autonomous, continuous logistics without unplanned interruptions, even in high-intensity production environments.
In advanced applications, specific AI algorithms or the TALOS module itself can activate predictive charging strategies, optimising AMR utilisation based on expected workload, energy status, and order sequencing.
Batteries: LiFePO4 48VDC (LFP) or LiNiMnCoO2 48VDC (NMC)
* Battery life estimates are approximate and based on benchmark test results that measure battery life in various application contexts. Actual battery life depends on various factors, including configuration, load, and robot usage. Maximum battery capacity tends to decrease over time and with use.
Technical Support and Tailored Integration
Specialised pre- and post-sales services: we provide support at every stage of the project, from the initial environment mapping to assistance in defining the route layout, through to turnkey commissioning.
Complete integration with your existing IT/OT infrastructure: we analyse your specific application case and configure the AMR system to integrate with management software (MES, ERP, WMS), plant equipment, and field devices.
Operational training and ongoing support: technical training for personnel, with specialist remote or on-site assistance, even for multi-shift or multi-site facilities.
Remote control and real-time diagnostics: every HELKO is equipped with a web/mobile interface that allows remote monitoring and intervention, as well as direct submission of support requests to the first-level technical support team.
HELKO AMR
A fully customisable Mobile Robotics Solution
Our solutions are designed to meet the specific needs of each business — because we know that no two companies are alike. Instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, we tailor every aspect of our technology to fit your unique production processes.
Looking to innovate while maintaining your existing workflows? We’re here to help.
With extensive automation expertise, we develop bespoke solutions that seamlessly integrate Machine-to-Machine communication and multi-level interfacing, connecting PLCs, Cloud platforms, MES/MOM, and ERP systems.
*Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
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